The Effect of Explicit and Implicit Corrective Feedback on the Narrative Writing of Preintermediate Iranian EFL Learners

The Effect of Explicit and Implicit Corrective Feedback on the Narrative Writing of Preintermediate Iranian EFL Learners

The effectiveness of the written corrective feedback has gained much interest among second language acquisition researchers since 1970s. In spite of large body of research, there seems to be no unified agreement on the effectiveness of written corrective feedback in L2 learners writing. The present study seeks to investigate the effect of explicit and implicit corrective feedback on the narrative writing of preintermediate Iranian EFL learners. In so doing, the study was conducted with 85 pre-intermediate level EFL learners at some English language teaching institutes in Mahabad, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. The sample was selected from among 230 EFL learners by means of Oxford Quick Placement Test (the writing placement test). After the researchers administrated the placement test, the participants were assigned into two experimental groups and one control group randomly. Then the participants in both experimental and control groups were asked to write their first composition as the pre-test of the study. Only the participants in the experimental groups received the treatment which was explicit and implicit corrective feedback. Then the same procedure was repeated for the second composition which served as the post-test of the study. The results of t-test and covariance revealed positive effects of giving written corrective feedback on the pre-intermediate EFL learners writing. Furthermore, the results highlighted the superiority of giving explicit corrective feedback over the implicit one in written tasks. The results of the study have some implications for teachers, learners and material designers.

The effectiveness of the written corrective feedback has gained much interest among second language acquisition researchers since 1970s. In spite of large body of research, there seems to be no unified agreement on the effectiveness of written corrective feedback in L2 learners writing. The present study seeks to investigate the effect of explicit and implicit corrective feedback on the narrative writing of preintermediate Iranian EFL learners. In so doing, the study was conducted with 85 pre-intermediate level EFL learners at some English language teaching institutes in Mahabad, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. The sample was selected from among 230 EFL learners by means of Oxford Quick Placement Test (the writing placement test). After the researchers administrated the placement test, the participants were assigned into two experimental groups and one control group randomly. Then the participants in both experimental and control groups were asked to write their first composition as the pre-test of the study. Only the participants in the experimental groups received the treatment which was explicit and implicit corrective feedback. Then the same procedure was repeated for the second composition which served as the post-test of the study. The results of t-test and covariance revealed positive effects of giving written corrective feedback on the pre-intermediate EFL learners writing. Furthermore, the results highlighted the superiority of giving explicit corrective feedback over the implicit one in written tasks. The results of the study have some implications for teachers, learners and material designers.